News

Tuesday, February 02, 2016

460Exp: transatlantic journey

Sanlorenzo's first Explorer, Moka, unveiled at the past Monaco Yacht Show 2015, has just successfully concluded her maiden voyage: a transatlantic ocean journey that brought her to American shores where she was met by her Owner.

Following extensive research in the field of Explorers or Exploration Vessels as they are known across the pond - a type of yacht gaining popularity amongst owners looking to travel to remote and otherwise inaccessible locations - Sanlorenzo has developed, sold and built the 460 Explorer. Her steel displacement hull and aluminum superstructure come together to create an impressive volume of 460 gross tons for an overall length of only 42.8 meters. She expands over five decks and, as with every Sanlorenzo since 1958, has been built to the most exacting quality standards and tailor made to her Owner's specific requests.

The 460 Exp's exterior lines are imposing and recall the design of exploration vessels reaching the far corners of the globe. Keeping with the Explorer philosophy, the superstructure is located further forward than on conventional yachts, leaving an ample aft deck capable of carrying a tender of dimensions far exceeding what one would expect on a yacht this size. In addition to the main tender, the aft deck can host a collection of water and land toys allowing guests and crew to explore the visited areas. Once at anchor and free of equipment, the aft deck becomes a wide solarium complemented by a large swimming pool with counter current swimming capability.
Following hull number one, Moka, to this day four additional units of the 460 exp have been sold and are currently under construction.

Confident in their new vessel's ability to satisfy the above performance following the yacht's launch and extensive testing - to which her new crew participated together with the Owner's technical consultants - the Owner did not hesitate to attempt a winter Atlantic crossing as a maiden voyage in order to enjoy the new 460Exp in the warmer Caribbean climate. This challenge was welcomed by the Owner who wish to put his new yacht's exploring credentials to the test. A rather unusal decision when considering a new crew with only a few weeks to prepare and a yacht that, despite being studied, built and tested to the best levels of the industry, remains nevertheless a prototype.

Following over 5,600 of navigation, a month at sea, of which 19 whole days of sailing at the average speed of 12.5 knots, Moka does not show any sign of wear and moreover she has not experienced any serious issue.
The hull, equipment and machinery have not been affected in the least by the long navigation and unrelenting sea.